How Custom Built Solution Software Can Help Boost Your Business

Every day we see new software appear in the market from programs for teamwork to software for data security. Business owners have a wide choice of options.

To achieve the desired results, any company may need several programs. However, the more software you use, the more time you waste on entering the same information into different programs and analyzing the output.

Eventually, employees struggle with juggling different apps, many of which require similar actions. This takes too much time, affects workflow organization, and hinders output.

That’s why with time, the majority of business owners understands the need for custom-built software.

If you are wondering whether the time has come to invest in custom software, we have listed the benefits below to help you make the right decision.

1.Improves Data Security

Data security is one of the most important issues faced by any company. It’s especially crucial for businesses working with sensitive customer data. When you enter your data into an off-the-shelf program, its security may be compromised.

Thousands of hackers have access to the same programs you do on the store shelves. They can buy the program and look for loopholes as much as they want. Sometimes, software developers aren’t quick enough to fix the loophole before a hacker takes advantage of it.

When you invest in a custom program, your employees are the only people who have access to it. Which means securing data is much easier.

2.Takes Care of Your Business Needs

Off-the-shelf software is designed to solve a certain problem faced by numerous businesses. Buying a new program to solve each new problem can be costly and ineffective.

For example, off-the-shelf accounting software is usually designed to help all types of businesses. A flower shop could use it for financial form filling. However, it would have to keep ignoring options created for healthcare providers, such as fields for social security numbers and insurance.

With a custom-build software solution, the learning curve can sometimes be steep as well. However, users only have to learn how to work with it once.

4.Provides Scalability

What happens with your off-the-shelf software when your business starts growing or changes direction? The majority of it becomes useless, and you have to go to the store to get a suitable program.

With custom software, you can forget about scalability issues. Such programs are designed to change with your company. Software developers make custom software flexible enough to accommodate your company’s changes.

When your business starts growing, all you have to do is ask the developers to add new features to the software for it to accommodate the new needs.

For example, flower shop owners, who want to turn one store into a chain, would need the software to collect information from all the shops to make a proper analysis of the way they work. This would require additions to custom software, which initially was designed to deal with one shop.

5.Offers Competitive Advantage

Chances are, you and your competitors are using the same off-the-shelf software for the same purposes. When you invest in custom software, you gain a competitive advantage over other companies. You can achieve the same goals without worrying about security, dealing with unnecessary features, learning how to use new programs, and much more. You can achieve success by taking advantage of improved security, new features, and quicker results offered by custom-built solutions.

When you and your competitors work with the same tools, it’s tougher to stay ahead. Custom-built software puts you on top of your game. When you use higher quality software than your competitors, you can stay ahead of the game.

6.Comes with Lifetime Support

One of the best parts about investing in custom-built software solutions is the lifetime customer support that comes with it.

When you opt for developing software specifically for your company, developers provide excellent support for the program throughout its lifecycle. Many developers offer special support options with ultra-fast response times.

For off-the-shelf programs, the support often suffers. In the best case, you could wait for hours to be connected to the support specialists. In the worst case, the company may decide not to support the software anymore. For off-the-shelf programs, the support is often weak. Sometimes you have to wait for hours to get a response from a specialist. There is also a danger of the company going out of business or deciding to stop supporting a certain product.

7.Meets Compliance Standards

Some companies face the need to comply with government regulations that come with precise details. Doing that using off-the-shelf software is often tough or impossible.

If you decide to opt for custom software, the developer can keep compliance in mind when designing your program. With such software, you don’t have to worry about failing to comply with government requirements.

Sometimes, companies have to comply with specific industry standards, as well. Custom-built software can be designed to cater to these standards without extra effort on the part of the user.

8.Provides to Multiple Locations

Companies that work from multiple locations often have trouble using off-the-shelf software. Usually, they have to adjust to their lack of flexibility and collaboration options.

Communication between these locations can be simplified by investing in custom software. Such programs deal with collaboration issues and assist with smooth workflow regardless of the number of locations.

Accessing, changing, and updating information from different locations without compromising speed and security are some of the key benefits of custom software.

For example, different branches of a flower shop need to share information about the upcoming sale to change the prices simultaneously. With off-the-shelf software, branch representatives would need to access several programs, such as accounting and analytics apps to make proper changes. This would take too much time and require numerous repetitive actions. With custom software, all the necessary information can be entered and shared without delay.

9. Increases Profits

Unlike off-the-shelf programs, custom software is likely to help your company increase profits substantially. Custom programs have a high ROI compared to their off-the-shelf counterparts because they help your company use time and resources efficiently.

Many business owners opt out of using custom software because of its cost. However, when they take time to study the ROI of such programs, they often decide to purchase them.

As time passes, the ROI of custom-built programs increases since you don’t have to invest in new programs every time your company takes a new turn in development.

Final Thoughts

Investing in a custom-built program is the right choice for the majority of companies that have passed the initial “startup” stage. They can help boost your business by improving efficiency, saving time, offering security, providing excellent support, and much more. Consider investing in custom-designed software solutions today.